This is a difficult review to write. Throughout most of the story, I felt it was a five-star read, then came the ending, which disappointed me — it didn’t feel right — and so I lowered my internal rating system to four stars. Then waited a while to ensure I got it right. It's been 17 months since the Bloodsmith butchered his first victim and Operation Maypole is still no nearer catching him. Great...like she doesn't enough on her plate. Still reeling from a recent assault, Lucy is busy dealing with PTSD, a useless therapist, Tudor's expectations, Fraser's rants & the antics of a recently released killer. Oh, and there just might be someone stalking her. So does she want to be saddled with a career ending case? Sure, why not. No Less The Devil is more than just a crime fiction novel though. It is a stunning commentary on post Covid society and MacBride has chosen to mainly provide this commentary through the eyes of The Dunc, which works beautifully in my opinion.

It's fair to say DS Lucy McVeigh doesn't have a huge amount of confidence in her partner DC Duncan Fraser, commonly called the Dunk! Unfortunately they've just been assigned to the team involved in Operation Maypole, investigating a serial killer known in the Scottish press as the Bloodsmith so they will be working closely on everything. There is very little to go on however, and most of those involved feel they are getting nowhere fast. BUT....while subject matter, characters & their roles/relationships may feel familiar, don't get too comfy. And lose that smug little smile. I guarantee you have no idea where this is heading. To be honest, at one point I wondered if a "Dallas" style moment was pending...a scene where everyone wakes up & realizes it was all a dream. The story begins with a prologue, the murder of a homeless man by two children (preteens), then shifts into typical MacBride country—a police station in Oldcastle, a fictitious city in Scotland that serves as the setting for most of the author’s darker stories—madcap with a somber overcast. So the reader knows what to expect. I couldn't help thinking, as I got to the end, that Lucy may have made a deal with the Devil, and we all know the Devil likes to come out on top. He just might have met his match in Lucy. This is definitely going to be an interesting series. Well, Lucy does her utmost to follow all the leads they have, starting with revisiting the homes of the victims where they indeed find some clues to work with. These clues take them to such unfamiliar places as the home of Benedict’s parents and to a very, very posh school for gifted children. Soon after Lucy and Dunk make some progress, there is another spanner in the works because now Lucy seems to be followed, not only by a suspect, but also by Charlie, a policeman from Professional Standards.Lucy really isn’t in a great place herself right now, she’s clearly suffering from PTSD, and also has a stalker, and what with the extra pressure of Benedict Strachan, who pleads for her help, she’s definitely on a downward spiral. DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of No Less the Devil by Stuart MacBride for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

I have read and enjoyed this author's work before and am sure I will again but this was a disappointing and strange experience. It was a little confusing at the start but seemed to find its feet encouraging me to feel hopeful for the remainder of the story. Instead everything got seriously weird and, to me at least, more than a little unrealistic. Although I didn't feel the PTSD was clearly signposted it did gradually became more apparent, unfortunately it wasn't enough to even begin to explain the sudden changes which became the main focus of the story. This is book 5 in the Oldcastle novels. I am always a bit dubious about joining a series when I haven't read the others but I was mostly put at ease. Added to this are the problems resulting from the release of 27 year old Benedict Strachan who was jailed sixteen years earlier for murder. Scarred by his experiences he is convinced 'they' are just waiting for an opportunity to 'get him'. As Lucy used his case as part of her dissertation, 'Children Who Kill' he is now convinced only she can help him remain alive.I adore Stuart MacBride's Logan McRae character and series. Oh my heart sang when I read Cold Granite - it was a revelation to me, a gritty, dark, evil, murder-filled crime thriller that made me laugh! If you've never read it then I highly recommend it.

This is a difficult review to write. Throughout most of the story, I felt it was a five-star read, then came the ending, which disappointed me—it didn’t feel right—and so I lowered my internal rating system to four stars. Then waited a while to ensure I got it right. If you don't believe that the human mind is the most dangerous place on earth, you are probably not going to get the most out of this book. Stuart MacBride delves into the deepest recesses of the mind: PTSD, paranoia, delusions, hallucinations and psychopathy. Delicious stuff for me! THE AUTHOR: Stuart MacBride lives in the northeast of Scotland with his wife Fiona, cats Gherkin, Onion and Beetroot, some hens, some horses and an impressive collection of assorted weeds. It’s 17 months since The Bloodsmith killed his first victim, and the police are no nearer to catching him. Operation Maypole has run out of clues, the public have lost faith in them, the media are giving them a hammering, and The Top Brass are demanding answers. However I felt about the latter stages of this novel, I’m definitely keen to read more by MacBride. The humour, characterisation, vibrancy of language and sharp eye for detail absolutely won me over and I’ve already bought another book to try.

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Launching into this novel, I'd expected a tightly-plotted police procedural, featuring complex characters, gritty themes and dark humour. And that's exactly what it was ... up until about the 80% point. It’s been nearly 18 months since the Bloodsmith killed his first victim of five and a few months since the last one. The investigation entitled ‘Operation Maypole’ is getting nowhere fast in apprehending this callous killer and the press and police top brass are getting impatient for results. DI Tudor is now placed in charge and DS Lucy McVeigh is made part of the team. Lucy however, is very distracted as not only is she struggling with possible PTSD, she has a stalker and if that’s not enough Benedict Strachan, a recently released child killer is pleading for her help and protection. Wow, I get so excited when a new Stuart MacBride book comes out and I try to savour it ... However, that doesn't always go to plan, because master of storytelling, gritty crime fiction and tartan humour, MacBride, generally has me wheeching through the book at a rate of knots. Stuart MacBride is an automatic must-read for me... always fast, hard, authentic - and different'LEE CHILD

Stuart MacBride is an automatic must-read for me... always fast, hard, authentic - and different' LEE CHILD I’d really become invested in this storyline, a typically gripping crime thriller from Stuart Macbride, until we got to about 80%, and then it just seemed to veer off into the realms of fantasy from whence it completely lost the plot, and so did I! Add the perfect amount of location description and MacBride easily sets and maintains the atmosphere of the bleak, grey Scottish scene.Not Lo